Tilting mechanism for venetian blinds



March 6, 1951 H. s. ROSENBAUM TILTING MECHANISM FOR VENETIAN BLINDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 2, 1947 March 6 1951 H. s. ROSENBUM 2,544,184

TILTING MEcHANIsM FOR VENETIAN BLINDs Filed July 2, 1947 2 sheets-sheet 2 3 wu MM .'atented` Mar. 6,-

`l'J-l'vl'rrte f s-TATES or Flc E mIL'rINGJMCHANIsMlFere-VENETIAN BLINDS .1; This inventionrelates ol improvements@ in: tiltl ing, means` for Venetian. blinds and has?V particular application to the tilt pole for Venetianl blind structures whereby theV slats *are turnedeor tiltedI to the degree ofopening or closure desired.. In. prior constructions of' Venetianblinds..` the tilting means employed. a solid shaftoismall di"- ameter te which 4there-were secured two orv more woodenfillers or"spools:ofmuc h greater dia-meten than the shaft in order to providel .af-periphery at greater diameterso that thefladden-tapes which were fastened. theretc= byf tacks wouldtravela much greater distance. Afor' each: revolution: or: angular movement of the shaft. than ifthefm'ove' ment of the -ladderta-pes: correspond'edftoi the cire cumferenee of tliefshafttv These comparatively slender shafts also have the: disadvantage of: sagi-r ging., except. in the casei ofv very short. shafts..r Where the. Venetiafrrblindsfare employedon 4-vv-indows of anyrv substantial Width;A ithas: beenrnece'sw sary to` providesupportsorbraces telnet/.entI such` saggingj'of thshaft. i Among the: objectsffof. this. invention stheprovision of af tilt .pole which dispenses-1with?theuse` ofthe wooden llersorspools. andV which doess'not sag even when it is of substantial ori'unusuall length'rand' forwhicln there isg-noii needof' theliintermediate' `supports heretoforelusedfto':` prevent:

sagging of.Y the shafts; ofsprior constructions A more. specic. objectffofr` invention-Y isv the:l

provision of a hollowfmetal tilt pole;whichaisafreefr df; the: foregoing disadvantages .incident tofjprioriV constructions;

A still* further:- objectV isi teYA providezfarhollowr metal tilt pole of this character"wherebwthewlad der tapes may be givensuxedg. aecurate-align ment and spacingand. which readily;V lends itself to easy and secure attachment tethe.otherxparts` of the Venetian blind'strncture.`

Other.;A further,v andV more; specificifobjects` ofv this. invention Will become:v readily apparentto'f portion of a. Venetian blind, showings'the-'mode-V ofi attachment` of the ladder tapesitof the tiltem.

part of the devicefbeingi shown: in :section-teillu's'trate'A the-.interior construction .1thereof.:`

pulley' Iand 'bracket-supporti;

; Eig. 6-v is a-seetion--on line AIi---t of Fig. 1.

Fig. This afsectiononline 'I4-1 of Fig, 1..

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig.. 1-.V Figi. 9 isadetailperspective view of theI biurcated springy member. for securingv the ladder i .'Eig. LO-isasectionl-on line" Ill- Hl oftFig. 2.

Eigl1 isf ai'fragmenta-l;perspectivel view of Vthef closedfend @lathe-tilt pole@v Theinovelz-tilt-pole employed. in Ymyl new Venel r" tianblind` constructioncomprises the. hollow sheet-:metal .cylindeIvfZ-I 4disposed within the sheet.` metal hood. 4f which. is: .fastened,preferably byscrews. against the jambfof a window frame (lnot shown) Ihisetifltfpole-'Z contai-nsthe perforations 'o r slotsf; preferably 'lf-shaped fasaillustrated in..

Eig.-f4-,. therpertoration or slot 8r nea-r theu open end, cfftheffpole: andsthe. Adiametrically opposite` V-notelnV lffatsaid open end. The base. Il of the notch. Ifllris spaced? from .the rend. of` the tiltpole: sol astof' bez'infregistry with. the. innermostl circumvferential-:edge l2oftheslot-8. .-Eachpole isprof/ Vide'dzwithitwo 1er. thereY cooperating pairsfof slots.

65,. each.: pair of: slotsls'erving. to; hold.. and engage avbirurcateda'spring. member. I3 for the. purpose todfbe described;r The closed endofthe tiltypole 2 has an end cap or cover I4 of metalrwhichi's* drawn a-t the center intera. stud |16., whereby :the tilt pole isi supported; atonev end: inthe arcuate; notchvv Il!:citherbraclmtll]5 serving .asfaubearing U.sha,ped casing 221servingaas a-'housing fonfthe pulleyV 24-fand=a. conventional type lof. cord. lockfA A:satisfactoryv ccrd` lock -isythat disclosed infUl 1S.; Batentu-lfl-tby; K. Lorentzen and comprises aido'g216 having. aapair. of` ears Zand a serrated- 1ip. 30 extendingl,.from.therplate 32. A pivotp'in; 34: passesfthroughathe. upper ends of.. the7 earsf2- and:v fixed-to: the vlegs of; theA U-shaped casing, 22. YThis pin:l 314is disposedf'at. a-.point jnst'below.

the level :ot a.-detentl or shoulder 36lat the. opposite; endoff` the casing .22.. The. pull"` cords. d andf 4.0 .w-l'iicl'n` operate. the-laddentapes 4ft2 :andA 44- are trainedvover thepulley.21k-andl pass,betweenH thej dogg.- Zflandfv the.detent=or shoulder 36 in.y the endl-- of thefcasing-)Ht- A( v The.- .parts thus.v describedare so arranged lthat when the. mechanismv isy 'inthe: unlocked positicn,.,. shown.l in.y theV -dotandd`ash lines` of Eig.` 1',.- the'. plateffofqthe. dogs 26 is. insubstantially. vertifcalposition@Withwone.ear-2r of the dogin lengagement with an ear struck from the casing 22. When the parts are in this position the cords 38 and 40 are free to run vertically through the casing, and the blind can be raised or lowered to any position. When the proper position of the blind has been reached and it is desired to lock it in that position, the lower ends of the cords are swung toward the left to the dotted line position of Fig. 1. This action bring the cords into contact with the lip 30 of the dog 26, which is preferably toothed to increase frictional contact during 'this action, and the cords are then permitted to move upwardly under the weight of the blind. This upward movement of the cords while in contact with lip 30 moves the dog 26 to the locking position shown in the full lines of Fig. 1. In this position the two cords 38 and 40 are clamped between the dog 26 and the detent or shoulder 36, and any further upward tension on the cords merely serves to wedge the dog 26 more firmly against the detent 36. Due to the curved inner surface of detent or shoulder 36, the cords 38 and 40 can slide about the curved face, thereby adjusting themselves for any inequalities of size or shape between the two ropes and insuring equal pressure of the detent on both ropes.

The principle of the gripping action of this cord lock is that the pivoted dog 26 is pressed against the cords 38 and 40 by somewhat of a toggle action as its free end is pulled upwardly by the cords. At the same time the cords are bent around the detent or shoulder so as to obtain a snubbing action. The combination of these actions gives a very secure grip on both ropes without reliance on any biting action that would cut or cause excessive wear of the ropes.

The open end of the tilt pole 2 is attached to the tilt gear 46, fastened to the bottom 48 of the sheet metal hood 4 by the flangesor feet 5I! of the support bracket 52. This support bracket 52 has an enlarged hollow cylindrical portion 54 serving to retain the worm 56, fastened to its shaft 58 and journaled in the bushings 60 disposed within said enlarged portion 54 of the bracket and securely positioned therein. The shaft 58 is also securely fastened to the pulley 62 over which the tilt cord 64 is trained, the ends of said cord passing through suitable guides 65 and openings 66 in the bottom of the sheet metal hood 4.

' The worm 56 engages the teeth of a sector gear 68 which turns upon the shaft 'I0 secured to the upright lobes 'I2 and 14 of the bracket 52. This sector gear forms one leg of 'a U-shaped element, the other outer leg 16 having diametrically opposing lugs 18 and 88. In connecting the tilt pole to the tilt gear 46, one of the lugs is inserted in the slot 8 of the tilt pole and the tilt pole is swung so as to bring the opposing lug into the notch I8 of the tilt pole, which may then be brought into operating positionby seating the stud I6 of the other end into the notch I8 of the bracket 20. In this operating position, the diametrically opposite lugs 18 and 80 will be in alignment and the tilt pole will be held against longitudinal movement in one direction by the bracket 28 and in the other direction by the lugs I8 and 88. Depending on the clearance between the slot 8 and notch I8 and the lugs I8 and 88 inserted therein, a limited amount of longitudinal and circumferential play of the tilt pole is provided, thus approximately simulating a universal action between the tilt pole and the U-shaped element havingthe sector gear. This limited play 4 admits of attachment of the tilt pole to the other mechanism of the Venetian blind without the introduction of misalignment incident to prior installations caused by irregularities in the parts to which the tilt pole is attached.

The ladder tapes 42 and 44, which vary in number relative to the width of the Venetian blind, are provided with loops 82 at the upper ends. One leg of the bifurcated spring member I3 is passed through one of the loops 82 and the other leg of the bifurcated member I3 is passed through the loop of the other end of the ladder tape. With the loops thus positioned on the legs of the spring member I3, they will lie between the bottom84 of a channel-like portion of the spring member I3 and projecting lugs 85 at the other end of each of the legs of the spring member I3. The bottom 84 of the U-like channel portion has extending therefrom a projection 86. With the loops 82 in position over the legs of the spring member I3, the projection 86 is inserted in one of the pair of cooperating slots 6 of the tilt pole and moved so as to lie under the sheet metal cylinder 2. The free ends of the spring member I3 are then sprung toward each other so as to permit the lugs to enter the other slot of the cooperating pair of slots. The legs are then allowed to spring back to their normal position, thereby bringing the lugs 85 beneath the sheet metal cylinder 2.

The bottom edge 88 of each of the elongated intermediate portions 90 of the legs of this spring member is suiiciently spaced from the bottom 84 of the channel-like portion and from the projecting lugs 85 and projection 86 to accommodate the ladder tapes between these bottom edges and the cylindrical tilt pole when the projection 86 and lugs 85 are under the sheetmetal cylinder 2. Longitudinal movement of the spring member and the ladder tapes is prevented by the shoulders 92 on one end of the spring member and the shoulders 94 on the other end thereof.

My novel tilt pole is preferably made of sheet metal. However, other suitable materials of construction may be employed therefor, for example, plastics, etc. Y

The present invention is not limited to the specific details set forth in the foregoing examples Which should be construed as illustrativeA and not by way of limitation, and in view of the numerous modifications which may be effected therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, it is desired that only such limitations be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A coupling between the tilt mechanism and tilt pole of Venetian blinds, in combination with a hollow shaft having a notch at one end and la slot substantially diametrically opposite said notch and spaced from said end of the shaft so that the innermost circumferential edge of said slot is in substantial registry with the base of said notch, an outer leg of a U-shaped rocking member within said hollow shaft and. having a pair of outwardly projecting lugs in substantial alignment with each other, one of said lugs fitting in and resting in said notch and the other lug fitting in and resting in said slot.

2. A coupling between the tilt mechanism and tilt pole of Venetion blinds, in combination with a hollow shaft having a notch at one end and a slot substantially diametrlcally opposite said notch and spaced from said end of the shaft so that the innermost circumferential edge .of said 5 slot is in substantial registry with the base of said notch, an outer leg of a U-shaped rocking member within said hollow shaft and hajfin.; a. pair of outwardly projecting lugs in subst'alntial alignment with each other, one of said iugsntting in and resting in said notch and the other lug tting in and resting in said slot, and means for retaining said lugs in said notch and slotglr;

HARRY S.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record` in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wheeler Aug. 28, 1883 Beggs Feb. 29, 1934 Lorentzen Mar. 8, 1938 Lawson et a1 Mar. 22, 1938 Konen July 18, 1939 Nelson Oct. 3, 1939 Stuber June 24, 1941 Hunter "Mar, 12, 1946 

